Cartridge belting machine



Sept. 6, 1949. A. BUREAU CARTRIDGE BELTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed March 12, 1946 INVENTOR ARTHUR L. BUREAU ATTORNEY Sept. 6, 1949.L, QUREAU 2,480,834

CARTRIDGE BELTING MACHINE Filed March 12, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORBY ARTHUR L. BUREAU ATTORNEY A. BUREAU CARTRIDGE BEL-TING MACHINE Sept.6, 1949.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 12, 1946 Patented Sept. 6, 1949 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

v f "2,480,834.. v f

CARTRIDGE BELTING MACHINE Arthur L. Bureau, United States NavyApplication March 12, 1946, Serial No. 653,929

" dClaims. (01. 86-48) i,(Grante d under the act of March 31 883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 3700. G. 757) This invention relates toimprovements in machines for forming ammunition belts of thedisintegrating type, its particular purpose being to provide a verysimple mechanism for belting small calibre cartridges. In furtherance ofthis purpose useis made of portions of the mechanism in each of thecopending applications for patents for Belt loaders of Arthur L. Bureau,Serial Num-- bers 474,452 and 509,081, filed February 2, 1943 andNovember 5, 1943, now Patent N0. 2,474,218, dated June 28, 1949,respectively, and in the Patent No. 2,397,944, issued April 9, 1946..

These mechanisms generally comprise a ramming slide which is made toreciprocate on a base beneath the discharge spout of an uprightammunition hopper, whence successive rounds, whether ball or tracerammunition, are thrust into the interfitted knuckles of belt links.Individually said mechanisms include novel means for periodically and atwill arresting the movement of the ammunition, thereby to allow an idlestroke of the ramming slide and cause a break in the cartridge belt.Provision is also made in the foregoingbelting machines for changing theratio of ball to tracer ammunition.

The simplification.ofstructure which'isa dis-:..

tinctive feature of the'instant machine is in fulfillment of aprevailing need for a belting machine capable of operation at high speedand of maintenance by personnel not necessarily accustomed to operatingmachinery; The provision, then, of'

such a machine is one of the objects of the invention, and anotherobject isto provide a belting machine wherein the advancing cartridgebelt is the'moving part which actuates the conveyor belt by' which thecartridges are delivered to the hopper from'the conveyor tray. 7 I

A'further object of the invention is to automatically move the conveyorbelt a step to deliver a succeeding cartridge to the feed chute at'theend of every return stroke of the ramming slide, this action beingaccomplished by the car-' tridge belt which at that period of saidstroke,

has moved forwardly the diametral distance of one cartridge.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine intendedprimarily but not exclusively for belting .30 calibre ammunition at aspeed and with accuracy much greater than possible with any known typeof hand-operated belt- 2 Figrl is a perspective view of the improvedcartridge belting machine; g Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of thecare tridge conveyor;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the machine, partsbeing shown insection; Fig. 4 is a cross section taken substantially onthe line 4--4 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is; a, detailsectional view takensubstantially on line 5-5 of Fig; 3, parts being omitted. I Brieflyclescribing the structure insofar, asit agrees with the precedingmachines referred to, the instant apparatus consists of a base 2|,equipped with handles such as 22 bymeans of which the machine is readilylifted. .A motor 23,

mounted on the base, drives a speed reducer 24,

the final shaft of which carries the upper clutch,

plate 25. A spring 26 presses said plate against the lower clutch plate21, slippage between the; plates occurring permissibly if there shouldbe any jamming in the machine.

The lower clutch plate shaft 28 carries the crank 29 by which theconnecting rod 30 actuates the ramming slide 3|. Said connecting rod isrevolubly joined at its ends to the shaft 28 and to the stud 32 of theslide. The latter has a slidable ribbed connection at 33 with guidegrooves 34 in the base 2|. The slide is thus guided in itsrequiredrectilinear motions. A wall 35 upstanding from and integral withthe ramming slide 3| has a cam plate 36 attached thereto by means ofscrews 31. The cam plate 36 thus reciprocates with the ramming slide 3|,and as the latter drives succeeding cartridges into the link belt, thecam plate acts to forward succeeding links into the cartridge receivingposition.

For the latter purpose the plate 36 has a camslot 38 which is occupiedby the roller stud 39. This stud projects upwardly and into the slotfrom the underlying slide 40 which carries it. Ribs 4| and theintervening portion of a wall" of which they are a part guide the slide40 at one side, while the ribs 43 and the intervening wall portionof ablock 44 perform that function on the other side. Thus it is seen thatthe slide 40 side of slide 40 by hinge pin and is pressed againstsucceeding links 46 by the spring 8| during the advancing portion of themovement of slide 40 and slipping over said links on the reversingmovement. The loading point is situated on the intersection of the axisof the oncoming cartridge 41 as driven by the ramming slide 3| and therespective link pair of links 46 then in position to receive it. Thewall 42 and'block 44 have passageways 48, 49 into which each cartridgeis driven in the ramming operation. That part of a the block 44 whichdefines the passageway 49 A chute 50 delivers the links to 'theforegoing I.

loading point. The hinge knuckles of the links are loosely inter-fittedwhile traversing the chute. The cartridges which are thrust through theknuckles at the ramming point connect the links and produce thecartridge belt 5|. Said belt moves along the belt chute 52 by itsautomatic lengthenin as successive cartridges'are thrust through thelinks attheramming point.

From here on the description concerns the specific improvement of theinstant application, andlit begins with the movingcartridge belt 5|which comprises the power source for continuing the feeding of thecartridges automatically after the action has once been startedmanually. For this purpose a star wheel 53 rides the belt'-5| (Fig. 3)The valleys 54 and peaks 55 fit the uppermost contours ofthe links- 46,and as they progress toward the discharge end of the chute 52 the starwheel is given fractionalturnsagreeing with the step'motion' ofthccartridge belt.

The resulting step-turns are imparted to the shaft 56 of the star wheel,thence to the inner roller '5!- of a conveyor belt 58 in the conveyortray, the outer roller 59 of which tray (Fig. 2) completes the supportof the belt. Sprocket wheels 60, 6| respectively on the shaft 55 and onthe shaft 82 of the inner roller 51', have a chain 53 trained thereoveras shown in Fig. 1. By these arrangements the foregoing step-turns are;imparted to the belt 58, so that the cartridges '4'! laid on its upperflight are transported one by one to the throat 64 (Fig. 3) ofaieedchute 85.

This feed chute includes side plates 56 which in addition toproviding'the bearings for the wheel trunnicns 61 also furnish thesupport for the inner end of the framework 68 of the conveyor tray inwhich the belt 58 operates. Most of the specific details of thisframework are of relatively minor importance to the invention, butcontribute to the-general organization thereof.

For example, the flared extensions 69 aid in the quick'emplacement ofthe cartridges 41 upon the belt 58, furnishing guidance both to theprimer and bullet ends. Flanges Iii turned inwardly from the frame sidesto overlie the cartridge ends prevent any possible riding ;up of thelatter from the conveyor belt, especially prior to their entering thethroat 64 at the cover platell oiwhich the flanges terminate. The coverplate has a slot 12 for the insertion of a pointed instrumerit toclear'a possible cartridge *jam in the throat 64. The throat includes alip 13 which is 4 furnishes the support of the framework 68 upon thechute 52, the bracket being secured to the respective framework andchute as shown.

The operation is briefly reviewed as follows: Cartridges 4! are loadedby hand onto the conveycr belt 58 in any desired order of tracer andball ammunition. Power forthe operation of the machine is derived fromthe motor 23 but said power is applied indirectly to the belt 58. The

- primary purpose of the motor drive is to actuate the ramming slide 3|and the link pusher slide 40, respectively to ram the cartridges intothe links and to feed the links to the ramming point. .As long as thisperformance goes on there will be a continuous lengthening of thecartridge belt 5|, and the passage of this belt under the star wheel 53is depended upon to supply the motion necessary to drive the cartridgeconveyor belt 58.

Thus a failure of supply of either cartridges or links, which failuremight be the absence or jammin g of either one, results in the stoppingof the belt 58 and the automatic cut-off of the cartridge feed,Conversely, the orderl progression of the cartridge belt 5|under thestar wheel 53 insures the automatic operation of the conveyor belt 58.Since the motion of the cartridge belt 5| is by stepsthere is 'acorresponding step-motion of the conveyor 58 and a one-by-one feeding ofthe cartridges 41 into the throat 64 as the leadingcartridgesroll overthe'crest of the inner roller 51,

The 'inventionherein described may be manuiactured andused "by or forthe Government of the United States of America for governmental purposeswithout the payment of any royaltiesv thereon or therefor.

I claim:

1. In a-loader, an article chute'to guide gravitating articles to adelivery point, a second article chute to guide other articles alsogravitating' to said delivery point, means for uniting said'articlesatsaidpoint to produce a lengthening belt of said articles, a conveyorbelt for at least one of the kinds of articles, said'belt dischargingits articles into the respectivechute for gravitation, and driving meanscoupled to the'conveyor belt including arevoluble' star wheel occupyingan obstructing relationship to said article belt.

.2. In a loader, a pair of chutes for containing dissimilar articles andconverging toward a commen gravitational delivery pointfor saidarticles, continuously driven means operating periodically u ite aidarticles into a len thening chain,- an. article onveyor l adin o one .Ofthe chutes to. forward its. ar icl s to a. point where. the respectiveravitation. be ins, and m ans animated y the hain d e the a of i lenthen n for overall,

ing the conveyor, said means consisting of an element extending into thepathof the chain and a. driving connection between said element and:

the, conveyor.

In a er, a pair of chutes for contain ng ing at regular periods. tounite said articles into a'lengthening chain, an article conveyorcoasting with one of the chutes, and. means connected beeen he onveyorand the article chain, saidmean includin a member rid upon. the hain.

and spo n step motions due to l n thening, to op ate the conveyor with astep motion.

i. In a loader, a pair of chutes for containing dissimilar articles andconverging toward a. common delivery point for said arti'cles,,meansoperat-: ing at regular periods to unite said articles into alengthening chain, an article conveyor coacting with one of the chutes,said conveyor including a belt roller and trunnion, and means to operatethe conveyor by the chain, comprising a star wheel riding the chain, anda shaft, sprocket wheel and chain connection from the star wheel to thetrunnion.

5. A belt loader comprising a substantially erect link chute for guidinginterfitted links to a delivery point, a second and also substantiallyerect cartridge chute for guiding cartridges to said delivery point,ramming means operating with periodic strokes to ram the cartridges intopairs of the links to unite them and produce a cartridge belt with astep-by-step lengthening motion, a conveyor by which the cartridgesupply is carried, said conveyor including a roller journalled inproximity to the cartridge chute to cause the conveyor to discharge intosaid chute, a shaft having a driving connection with the roller, and astar wheel on the shaft, having its periphery in the path of thecartridge belt to respond to its motion.

6. An article forming machine comprising converging, plural guide meansindividually to direct respectively dissimilar article components to asubstantially common delivery point, a positively operable componentfeeder embodied in one of the guide means, ramming means operating atsaid point successively to join adjacent dissimilar components and thusproduce a lengthening line of assembled articles, and means coupled tothe feeder, bearing upon the line of articles and depending for itsoperation on the motion of said line engendered by its lengthening, todrive said feeder and so positively feed its components into therespective one of the guide means.

ARTHUR L. BUREAU.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,335,646 Chalmers Nov. 30, 19432,372,399 Smith et al Mar. 27, 1945 2,397,944 Bureau Apr. 9, 1946

